Circled by distinctive rings and attended by a group of at least 18
moons, Saturn has been called one of the most
intriguing planetary realms in the solar
system. Its largest moon, Titan, boasts
organic chemistry that may hold clues to how life formed on the
primitive Earth. So it is that Saturn and
Titan will be the destination of the Cassini mission, a project under
joint development by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian
Space Agency. The U.S. portion of the mission is managed for NASA by
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Cassini's principal objectives are:

determine the three-dimensional structure and dynamical behavior
of the rings;

determine the composition of the satellite surfaces and the
geological history of each object;

determine the nature and origin of the dark material on
Iapetus' leading hemisphere;

measure the three-dimensional structure and dynamical behavior of
the magnetosphere;

study the dynamical behavior of Saturn's atmosphere at cloud level;

study the time variability of Titan's clouds and hazes; and,

characterize Titan's surface on a regional scale.

Cassini was launched on October 15, 1997 atop a Titan IV-Centaur
rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Cassini will first execute two
gravity-assist flybys of Venus, then one each
of the Earth and
Jupiter to send it on to arrive at Saturn
in July 2004. Upon reaching Saturn, Cassini will swing close to the
planet -- to an altitude only one-sixth the diameter of Saturn itself
-- to begin the first of some five dozen orbits during the rest of its
four-year mission. In late 2004, the spacecraft will release the
European-built Huygens probe for its descent of up to two-and-a-half
hours through the dense atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan. The
instrument-laden probe will beam its findings to the Cassini orbiter
to be stored and finally relayed back to Earth. During the course of
the Cassini orbiter's mission, it will perform some three dozen close
flybys of particular bodies of interest -- including more than 30
encounters of Titan and at least four of selected icy satellites of
greatest interest. In addition, the orbiter will make at least two
dozen more distant flybys of the Saturian moons. Cassini's orbits will
also allow it to study Saturn's polar regions in addition to the
planet's equatorial zone.

Cassini Orbiter and Huygens Probe aboard the Titan IV
At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station,
the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan
IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft. The launch vehicle, Cassini
spacecraft and attached Centaur
stage encased in a payload fairing, altogether stand about 183 feet tall;
mounted at the base of the launch vehicle are two upgraded solid rocket
motors.
(Courtesy Kennedy Space Center)

Launch of Cassini Orbiter
A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn
begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini
orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. Launch occurred at 4:43 a.m. EDT,
October 15, 1997 from Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station.
(Courtesy Kennedy Space Center)

Cassini Orbiter and Huygens Probe aboard the Titan IV
After a 2.2-billion mile journey that will include two swingbys of Venus and one
of Earth to gain additional velocity, the Cassini spacecraft will
arrive at Saturn in July 2004. The orbiter will circle the planet for
four years, its complement of 12 scientific instruments gathering data
about Saturn's atmosphere, rings and magnetosphere and conducting closeup
observations of the Saturnian moons. Huygens, with a separate suite of
six science instruments, will separate from Cassini to fly on a ballistic
trajectory toward Titan, the only celestial body besides Earth to have an
atmosphere rich in nitrogen. Scientists are eager to study further this
chemical similarity in hopes of learning more about the origins of our
own planet Earth. Huygens will provide the first direct sampling of
Titan's atmospheric chemistry and the first detailed photographs of its
surface.
(Courtesy Kennedy Space Center)

Cassini (1997)
This artist's rendering depicts the NASA/JPL Cassini spacecraft
in orbit around ringed Saturn (lower right background). At the
lower left, the European Space Agency's Huygens probe descends to
the surface of Saturn's moon Titan (in foreground).
(Courtesy NASA/JPL)

Huygens
This artist's rendering shows the European Space Agency's Huygens
probe descending into the atmosphere of Saturn's
moon Titan after being released by NASA's
Cassini spacecraft.
(Courtesy ESA)

Huygens
This artist's rendering shows the European Space Agency's Huygens
probe descending into the atmosphere of Titan with Saturn in the
background.
(Courtesy ESA)

Huygens on Titan's Surface
This artist's rendering shows the Huygens probe on the surface of
Titan.
(Courtesy ESA)